Name: Mascarpone and Prune Tartlets
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 4 hr
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 10 pitted prunes (2 oz; sometimes called dried plums); 1/4 cup Armagnac; Sweet pastry dough for a single-crust pie; 1 cup mascarpone (from an 8 3/4-oz container); 3 large egg yolks; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; 1/4 teaspoon salt; a 5-inch round cookie cutter; 6 (4- by 3/4-inch) fluted round tartlet pans; pie weights or raw rice

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Photo by Romulo Yanes

You'll feel positively Continental after your first taste of these tartlets, made with the thoroughly French combination of prunes and Armagnac. The creamy Italian mascarpone filling is just the thing to mellow out the sophisticated flavors.

Cooks' notes:

•Tartlets can be baked and cooled 1 day ahead, then chilled, loosely wrapped in foil. Recrisp in a 350°F oven until heated through, about 5 minutes, then cool on a rack 15 minutes.
•This recipe can also be made using a single 9 1/2- by 1-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake as directed.

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